LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVDN) – Can the Greenbrier Valley become a hub for the bioscience and pharmaceutical industry?
That’s a question the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) addressed at its WVSOM Bio event, which on the second and final day consisted of an economic development forum on the school’s Lewisburg campus. The forum was attended by industry representatives, executives from agencies who work to attract business, and state and local government representatives, in addition to WVSOM personnel.
Based on the remarks of many who spoke at the Aug. 21 event, the answer appeared to be a resounding “yes.”
The forum featured discussions about the opportunities and challenges of growing the bioscience presence at WVSOM, and in the Greenbrier Valley and West Virginia. Ruthana Beezley, executive director of Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation, said the region’s varied industries — from manufacturing and agriculture to tourism and hospitality — serve as examples of what can be accomplished.
“We have a rich and diverse economy,” Beezley said. “The same things that bring millions of visitors through our region make us a beautiful place to live. But the Greenbrier Valley is much more than a pretty face. The presence of the osteopathic school and the expansion of our medical facilities make health science and health care one of our top three industries in terms of employment.”
The event took place in conjunction with an Aug. 20 ceremonial groundbreaking for the $35 million expansion of WVSOM’s Fredric W. Smith Science Building, which will devote an entire floor for outside researchers. James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, said the decision to include that space was part of a strategy to boost the region’s economic strength by making it a hub for bioscience activity.
“Our primary goal for the expansion of our research facility is to serve the research needs of our students, faculty and staff,” he said. “But with this expansion, I saw an opportunity and directed our team to create a shell space for public-private partnerships to attract bioscience researchers, institutions and companies to WVSOM. We’re open to collaboration in all areas.”
Several bioscience industry representatives participated in the event. Among them was Patrick Plues, senior vice president of state government affairs and affiliate relations for Bio International, an organization that advocates for the research and development of innovative health care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. He said the industry employs about 2.3 million direct employees and 11.5 million in supporting roles nationwide, accounting for roughly $3.2 trillion of the U.S. economy. West Virginia currently has about 5,700 bioscience workers.
Plues said the nation’s top geographic centers for clinical trials have certain characteristics in common.
“The most important factor is access to diverse patients, and the second is having the workforce to run a trial efficiently,” he said. Other keys to a location’s success as a hub for the industry include laboratory capacity, financial support, connectivity and infrastructure, and quality of life, according to data Plues presented.
In a video broadcast at the forum, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who helped secure $6 million in federal funding for the project through her work on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she is pleased that the expansion will encourage private and public partnerships in West Virginia.
“This addition will foster research collaborations, particularly in the areas of obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. By working together, we can further our mission of delivering quality health care to West Virginians,” she said.
That spirit of collaboration also echoed through the remarks of members of state government. West Virginia Sen. Tom Takubo, D.O., a graduate of WVSOM’s Class of 1999, said teamwork can happen more efficiently in this state than in some others.
“West Virginia is great because we’re large enough to make exceptional things happen, but small enough that at any given time, I can talk to the chairman of the House Finance Committee, the Secretary of Economic Development, the governor and the president of the osteopathic school, and in minutes to hours you can get collaboration that you can’t see in other places,” Takubo said.
Matt Herridge, West Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce, emphasized the state’s status as a leader in the energy sector but said international
organizations in multiple industries are looking at doing business in West Virginia.
“I’ve been amazed at the number of companies that want to come here,” Herridge said. “They see our people, our workforce, our loyalty and the generational effect in companies where, for example, a grandfather, grandmother, daughter and son worked together over the years.”
West Virginia Del. Vernon Criss, who chairs the House Committee on Finance, said the state legislature appropriated $29 million for the research expansion because it knows it will see a return on investment — a priority for West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
“We want to make sure members of the Senate and House are spending citizens’ dollars wisely. The money we gave is one of those things that we know down the road will be the wisest thing we can do toward the betterment of the health of our people,” Criss said.
Tammy Tincher, Greenbrier County commissioner, pointed out that there are challenges in attracting businesses to the state and region, but said West Virginia’s leaders have a record of overcoming them.
“West Virginia is a state that has aged infrastructure, and everyone recognizes that,” she said. “We’ve done a tremendous job over the last several years to make sure those issues are being addressed.”
As an example, Misty Hill, Lewisburg’s city manager, cited a recent $63.4 million project to modernize the city’s water system by upgrading the treatment plant’s capacity to triple its output and relocating the source of its water supply.
“Mayor [Beverly White] and I worked diligently on developing an update to our water plant. It’s the largest state grant-funded project in history and the largest USDA-funded project in state and federal history. In Lewisburg, we’re forward-thinking on infrastructure,” she said.
Nemitz pointed to scientific work currently happening in West Virginia as evidence that the infrastructure and workforce for research opportunities is in place.
“There are numerous examples of quality research conducted here,” he said. “We’re proud of the work done at WVU and Marshall and other institutions, including WVSOM. We need to identify our strengths, work together and set realistic goals. If we collaborate, West Virginia’s bioscience ecosystem can grow. We are better when we work together.”
Other speakers at the forum included Stephanie Fertig, director of the National Institutes of Health Small Business Program; Bryan Brown, executive director of the Bioscience Association of West Virginia; Mark Bates, M.D., a Charleston Area Medical Center cardiologist and nationally recognized entrepreneur; Jim Kaufman, executive director of the West Virginia Hospital Association; Phoebe Patton Randolph, president of Edward Tucker Architects, the company leading the Fredric W. Smith Science Building expansion; Kristie Bridges, Ph.D., WVSOM’s associate dean of preclinical education; and Dovenia Ponnoth, Ph.D., the school’s associate dean of research and sponsored programs.
